It’s an interesting time for aviation in South America, on a variety of levels. Here’s the latest example of that, as Brazilian carrier GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes intends to start flying wide body planes.
GOL will fly at least five Airbus A330-900neos
GOL has announced plans to lease at least five Airbus A330-900neos from aircraft leasing company Avolon, marking a major step in the the carrier’s long haul expansion strategy. The planes are all expected to be delivered in 2026, and the company has the option to lease two additional aircraft.
GOL’s controlling shareholder is Abra Group, and it’s part of the company’s strategy to expand its aviation portfolio across Latin America. The company also owns Avianca, and has a stake in Wamos Air, among other carriers.
Now, it’s noted that Abra Group is maintaining the flexibility to place these aircraft with other airlines, based on market opportunities and financial considerations. So in theory the planes could also end up at Avianca, though the intent is for these planes to fly for GOL.
For those not familiar, the A330neo is the updated version of the A330, featuring improved range and fuel efficiency. The A330-900neo is the larger of the two new variants (with the other being the A330-800neo). The plane has a range of 7,200 nautical miles, plus a capacity for 287 passengers in a standard three cabin configuration.
What will GOL do with its Airbus A330-900neos?
For context, GOL currently has a fleet of over 140 Boeing 737s (both NGs and MAXs), with another 75 Boeing 737 MAXs on order. The airline flies those primarily within South America and to the Caribbean, though the carrier’s service does stretch as far as Florida (representing some of the world’s longest 737 MAX routes).
With the A330-900neos, GOL intends to expand its long haul service, so presumably these planes would be used for expansion to North America, and possibly even to Europe. One would assume that the airline will operate flights out of Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU), and perhaps we’d see nonstop flights to markets like Miami, Lisbon, etc.
I’m very curious to see what kind of a passenger experience the airline offers, since historically GOL hasn’t had a business class (though the airline does have a premium economy product). I would assume the airline will introduce business class on wide body planes, but I guess we’ll see.
What’s interesting is that earlier this year, there were talks of GOL possibly merging with Azul. This would’ve allowed the airlines to combine to become the biggest carrier in the country. However, in recent weeks, those talks have been called off, so it appears that’s no longer happening.
It’s still noteworthy that GOL is now getting A330-900neos, since those are exactly the same planes that Azul uses for its long haul service. I suppose if merger talks do resume at some point, at least the airlines would have compatible wide body fleets!
Bottom line
Brazilian airline GOL intends to acquire at least five Airbus A330-900neos, and the aircraft will be delivered in 2026. That’s major news for the airline, given that it has historically otherwise only operated Boeing 737s.
I would imagine that these planes will be flying from Sao Paulo to North America and Europe, so I’m curious to learn all the details soon, including about the passenger experience.
What do you make of GOL acquiring Airbus A330neos?
